Did you know being born on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day might make you a werewolf?

It is true, centuries of legends claim that you could be a werewolf if you were born on December 24, December 25, or – according to some legends – even December 26 – January 6.

Were you born on Christmas Eve? In Italy specifically, and most notably, legends hold that a male born on Christmas Eve could become a werewolf when he reaches puberty. It’s worth noting that the legend applies specifically to males. Females born on Christmas Eve were said to become witches. (The Italian term for the male werewolf is “lupo mannaro” and for the female witch is “strega”.)

Other legends in other regions have slight variations – some say that not only do you have to be born on Christmas Eve, but you also have to be born at the stroke of midnight. This combination could predestine you to become a werewolf once you reach puberty.

Were you born on Christmas Day? Some legends say that it’s not being born on Christmas Eve that could make you a werewolf, but rather being born on Christmas Day could make you a werewolf.

Were you born after Christmas? In Germany and Poland, the legend is similar – being born on one of the 12 nights of Christmas (known as the Rauhnächte) gives you an increased chance of becoming a werewolf. The 12 nights of Christmas runs from December 25 until the Feast of the Epiphany (aka Three Kings Day – January 6).

So why isn’t the world overrun with werewolves? At first you may think that these legends seem odd and unlikely – it would seem that if it were true that merely being born on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day would make you a werewolf, then there would be far more werewolves in the world today. But it is worth stressing that most of the legends seem to say most specifically and most notably not that you will definitely become a werewolf if born on one of these days, but that you are more likely to become one.